


dance around the moon

by morganoconner



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Chance Meetings, M/M, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2710049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganoconner/pseuds/morganoconner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny tries not to wonder if anyone back home thinks of him, or if they've even noticed that he's not there anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dance around the moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miya_Morana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miya_Morana/gifts).



> For my darling Miya, who sent me a really great prompt for my [college fundraiser](http://morganoconner.livejournal.com/303231.html). :D I haven't done much exploration of Danny Mahealani, and I had a lot of fun writing this. Though as with all of the fics I've written the past couple weeks, it didn't turn out at all like I expected...but I hope you enjoy it, bb!
> 
> Beta'd by ratherastory, who is wonderful. ♥

Danny is willing to bet that none of the Supernatural population of Beacon Hills thinks of him very often when considering the tragedy of their lives.

Jackson probably did, once upon a time. But Jackson left.

Ethan, too; he worried about Danny even after his brother, his _twin_ , died. But Ethan is also gone. (Never mind that Danny is the one who broke up with _him_. Ethan would have left anyway, and Danny doesn't blame him.)

Lydia used to be one of his best friends, but she's gotten as wrapped up in the werewolf drama as any one of the actual wolves, and she's been too focused on getting a feel for her powers to give much thought to Danny. Danny doesn't begrudge her that…he thinks he'd be the same, if he were in her shoes.

Allison had been becoming a good friend, before she got swept up in the hunting business and romances with werewolves. And now….well, now Allison is dead.

And Danny has _friends_ , he guesses, as much as you can call the general population of BHHS "friends". He's smart, he's a lacrosse player, he's popular, and according to several sources, "Everybody loves Danny!"

But with all the people he cared about the most gone, mostly Danny just feels alone.

He tries, for a few weeks. He spends a lot of time trying really hard to focus on classes and lacrosse, and when that doesn't work, he tries to lose himself in warm bodies at the Jungle and hot, sweaty sex.

Nothing he tries does much to help him feel connected.

Beacon Hills, Danny decides, is not doing him any good. Since his mom (whose job it is to know everything that goes on in this town) seems to agree, it doesn't take much effort to convince her that he needs a break, somewhere else. He doesn't want to go far – he loves his family, and they have to stay here until whatever duties they agreed to have been fulfilled – just _far enough_.

A week later, Danny is living in a modest apartment his parents have rented for him in Kent, three towns away.

It feels like a whole different world, and Danny starts to settle in, slowly but surely. The constant buzzing under his skin begins to die down, and the hole in his heart where people used to be seems to get smaller. He makes new friends, he finds a steady (human!) boyfriend, and life goes on.

He tries not to wonder if anyone back home has thought of him, or even noticed that he's not there anymore.

*

Beacon Hills re-enters his life not with a bang, but with a whimper. It's been almost a year, and Danny is a couple months into his senior year. He spent the summer taking a couple classes at Kent Community College, and if he plays his cards right, he's looking at an early high school graduation. He's between relationships at the moment (it's really unfair that no one else seems capable of making him feel anything close to what Ethan did), and his coach is mad at him because he skipped the last game (three guesses who they were supposed to be playing).

Danny calls his parents three times a week, but they never share any details of what's going on in town, and Danny prefers it that way.

Except that apparently his ignorance leads to things like this. With Stiles Silinski standing in _his_ coffee shop, chatting happily with _his_ favorite barista.

Danny hasn't been spotted yet, and he turns on his heel to make his way out before he can be. He's fuming. There is no earthly reason for Stiles to be in this town. This is _Danny's_ town now, and Danny feels uncomfortably like Stiles has encroached on his territory, bringing with him a thousand memories Danny doesn't want.

It's only luck that has him looking up from his angry contemplations and spotting the car that glides smoothly into the parking lot of The Daily Grind. It's big, black, and annoyingly familiar. Danny ducks down behind a Honda Civic and hopes he never made a big enough impression on Derek Hale for Derek to remember his scent.

It seems not, because Derek hops out of his vehicle and heads straight for the door, hands shoved in his pockets and eyes never going anywhere near Danny's hiding spot.

And why the hell is Danny hiding from anyone in his own town?

Scowling, Danny watches the parking lot entrance for any other familiar faces, since the only thing he can think is that they've decided to use this place for a pack meeting or something, but eventually he realizes no one else is coming. Through the glass windows of the shop, Danny can see that Stiles and Derek have seated themselves at a small table meant for no more than two people.

But what the hell are they doing _here_?

Well, Danny decides, he won't get any answers sitting around in a parking lot. Thankfully, he has other skills at his disposal.

*

His computer, his most faithful friend (which is just sad, but he doesn't think about that), can't seem to tell him anything useful. He hacks Stiles' e-mail, and his phone's text history, but there's nothing incriminating in either. Certainly no mention of Danny.

Which he guesses is a good thing. If it's just a strange coincidence that they met up in Kent (two blocks from his apartment, at his favorite coffee shop), it means they're not here to try and drag him back into whatever werewolf drama is going on this week. But it still leaves him wondering why they're meeting up so far from Beacon Hills in the first place.

Danny doesn't want to be wondering about this, because he expects that curiosity will lead to bad things. So he decides to ignore it. Chalk it up to a coincidence, and hope that it never happens again.

It probably won't.

Really, what are the chances?

*

"So then my dad gave me that sigh, you know, the one that usually means I'm about to be grounded for the rest of my life, but –"

Danny's heart jackrabbits at the sound of that voice, and he hastily hides himself behind his textbook, peeking over it just enough to see the tops of Stiles and Derek's heads. Fuck his life. Seriously. Fuck. His. Life.

It's only been a week since his last not-quite-run-in with them, and he'd managed to convince himself it was a fluke. But clearly, the universe actually hates him.

"Stiles, have you ever considered that your father is the sheriff and a lot smarter than you want to give him credit for?" Derek asks, obviously continuing a conversation Danny never had the thread of.

"No," Stiles says, stubborn in a familiar way that almost makes Danny smile and roll his eyes before he remembers himself.

The coffee shop is big enough that Danny's fairly sure he can escape without them noticing him once they choose a table, but first they spend a long time lingering at the counter while Stiles dithers over options, before Derek finally butts him out of the way and orders peppermint mochas for both of them.

Danny snorts into his own frappe, then has to duck behind his book again when the sound catches Derek's attention.

_Right, Danny. Werewolf._

The moment the two cross the coffee shop to what Danny is starting to think is _their_ table, he bolts, keeping his face averted in case either bothers to look up at his departure.

*

"I thought I recognized you."

"Jesus!" Danny yells, spinning around in the aisle and dropping the box of cereal he was contemplating in the process.

Derek bends smoothly to scoop it up and place it back on the shelf, and then he tilts his head and regards Danny with a cool expression, crossing his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Danny gapes at him. "Are you serious right now? I _live_ here, what are _you_ doing here?"

Derek's expression abruptly clears. "Huh. I guess that makes sense." Like he's not used to anything in his life not being about people spying on him or trying to kill him or worse. Poor guy.

"So?" Danny asks. "What about you?" Because since he already has Derek here cornering him, he can't just let it go. It's been nagging at him for weeks now.

It's also interesting to see the way Derek fidgets, the tips of his ears going red.

"Oh my god," Danny says, the pieces clicking. "You're dating Stiles. You're secretly dating the sheriff's son." Because of course he is. Derek seems like the type who would do something that dumb.

"It's not—it's still really new. We're going to tell his dad and our friends, just…not yet."

It's not like Danny can really throw stones about Stiles choosing to date an older guy. Anyway, he thinks Stiles is almost eighteen, so it's not really creepy. "Well that's…cool," he says, for lack of anything better.

Derek snorts. Then he says, completely out of nowhere, "You know, Stiles was worried about you. He stalked the middle school for two weeks in March, driving your sister crazy with questions about where you'd gone or if you were okay."

Danny doesn't want to feel warmed by this. He tries not to. "She never mentioned," he murmurs.

Derek shrugs. "I think Stiles bribed her for her silence, after she finally told him that you were fine and to get lost." His lips quirk up a little, but his eyes stay somber. "I get why you left."

"There wasn't any reason to stay." Danny shrugs uncomfortably. "And no offense to your territory, but Beacon Hills kind of sucks."

"Yeah." Derek shakes his head. "It didn't used to be like that. Someday…" He trails off, clearly as uncomfortable now as Danny. "Anyway. Stiles still worries, and I know Scott's asked about you, too. So if you ever want to put in an appearance and reassure him that you're alive and well, I promise not to let him harass you too much."

"That's like making a promise to stop the ocean's tide," Danny says, a laugh startled out of him. "I mean, you've met Stiles, right? You know who it is you're dating?"

"Yeah, I do," Derek says, and god, Danny hates that grin. That's the grin he used to wear around…a certain werewolf he won't think about right now. It's smitten and happy and too damn bright and it's not fair, it really isn’t.

"You really like him, huh?" Danny asks. Can't help asking.

Derek's face flushes under all that stubble, but he nods. "Yeah, I do," he says again.

What can Danny really say to that? With the crap they've had to deal with the last few years, he thinks Derek and Stiles probably deserve some happiness in their lives. So what if it makes him jealous? What right does he have to feel envious of what they have?

Danny made his choices.

*

The following week, Danny goes in for his usual coffee order and sees Derek and Stiles already seated, deep in conversation. He hesitates for only a moment before he steels himself, drags a chair over to their table, and sits down.

"Hey there, Stiles," he says, enjoying the way Stiles' jaw drops and his eyes go really, really wide. "Long time no see."

*

After that, things settle back into a routine. Classes, lacrosse, his new job on alternating nights at the technology store. Homework and coffee and too much time on his computer.

Danny doesn't go out of his way to seek out Derek and Stiles when they're in town, but neither does he avoid them when he does see them. He still doesn't have any desire to return to Beacon Hills, although he suspects the supernatural drama has gotten better, if they're able to get away so often. There are still too many memories there, and Danny doesn't want to go back to missing people (although he misses them anyway), or feeling like he no longer fits into the fabric of the town.

Danny doesn't miss his old town. He misses parts of what it used to hold, but as he's reminded himself over and over again, those things aren’t there anymore anyway.

It's a random Tuesday at the beginning of April, and Danny's just finished up a grueling practice session. His new coach works him harder than Finstock ever did, and Danny thinks he might actually be a better player now, but he's not sure if it's worth it. He groans, leaning his head against his locker for a second, rolling his shoulders to try and work some kinks out.

He never hears a sound, but suddenly there's someone behind him, warm hands on his shoulders, rubbing in a way that leaves him instantly boneless.

He recognizes the touch, the unnatural warmth, but he's not convinced that it's real, so he stays silent.

"I tried, Danny," Ethan whispers, his breath caressing Danny's neck, raising goosebumps all over his skin. "I tried to stay away and respect your choice, but I missed you."

Danny's eyes close, and he leans back against that familiar, solid presence. "I missed you too," he admits, because he has. He really has.

"I don't need a pack," Ethan tells him. "I'll try really hard to keep away from any werewolf drama. And I don't care where we are. I just want to be with you. Think you can give me another chance?"

Danny turns a little, just enough to press a long, lingering kiss to Ethan's mouth. Ethan still tastes the same. The familiarity is so much more comforting than Danny expected. "How did you find me?"

But even as he asks the question, he realizes he already knows. And maybe he'll think about being mad at them later for giving away his secret, but right now, for the first time in a long time, Danny feels whole.

He feels like he's home.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Nickelback. I feel like all of these current fics are going to be really easy to find because of the coincidental timing with this damn album. :P
> 
> I'm still taking prompts for my fundraiser! Please feel free to drop by if there's a story you'd love me to write for you. :)


End file.
